Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication mainly studies how to bear an Internet of Things application on a mobile communications network. The M2M communication may also be referred to as machine type communication (MTC). The mobile communications network needs to be optimized or enhanced so that an MTC device can be used. For example, device operating bandwidth may be reduced to reduce costs of the MTC device, or coverage enhancement may be performed to increase network coverage. In terms of reducing the device operating bandwidth, the operating bandwidth of the MTC device may be limited to 1.4 MHz. The coverage enhancement is as follows: A device having a relatively large path loss (for example, a device at a location such as a basement) is provided with coverage enhancement support, so that this type of device having a relatively large path loss can access a network to obtain a service. A signal repetition is one of methods for implementing the enhancement. A quantity of signal repetitions relates to a coverage enhancement requirement. Because different MTC devices are in different environments, coverage enhancement requirements are different. If a value of a coverage enhancement requirement is defined as a coverage enhancement level, coverage enhancement levels of different MTC devices in different environments are different. If a signal repetition is used to implement the enhancement, quantities of signal repetitions that need to be performed on MTC devices having different coverage enhancement levels are different.